


I Want to Trust You

by punkybunny



Series: Little Fangs [5]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Panic Attacks, Past Child Abuse, Peter Parker Acts Like a Spider, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker is a Mess, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Tony Stark, Self-Worth Issues, Sick Peter Parker, Sickfic, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:22:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27812230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/punkybunny/pseuds/punkybunny
Summary: Peter gets sick for the first time since living with Tony and because of how Hydra treated him in the past, he decides to keep it secret. He fears that Tony may react the same way they did.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Little Fangs [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1838425
Comments: 25
Kudos: 432





	I Want to Trust You

**Author's Note:**

> Hi. :) I'm excited to share this one, I feel rly good about it! I know I said I wasn't going to be writing much Peter whump in this series but I felt like this was important for his healing process!  
> Also warning: this one deals with a lot more mentions of child abuse than in previous works! Not in great detail tho! And Peter does have a pretty intense panic attack, so just be careful :)  
> Now, enjoy! <3 <3 <3

Peter started feeling sick the night before. He had been in the lab with Tony, and he remembered the joy that swelled in his chest when the older man was proud at how quickly Peter picked up on the science behind nanobots. But that was the beginning of the afternoon. From then onwards, Peter had felt dizzy and he felt a distinct pain in his head and sinuses. 

It didn't take long for Tony to notice how quiet he was being and to ask if he was alright. The man had seemed so concerned. But why? Peter didn't think Tony had any reason to worry for him. Peter definitely didn't want to be a bother; a shiver ran down his spine when he had that thought.

So the boy had shrugged and said he was feeling fine, there was nothing wrong. When Tony let the subject drop, albeit hesitantly, Peter was relieved. 

But now it was the next morning, and as the sun shone through the half-closed blinds onto Peter's sensitive eyes, he hissed and curled up further into his sheets. His head was pounding as though someone was stomping their foot onto his skull repeatedly. His nose was clogged and there was an aching pain throughout all of his joints. Not to mention the heat - the teen felt as though he was being cooked alive but at the same time he felt cold. He didn't know if he wanted his blankets on him or not, but he decided that he welcomed the feeling of being held tight and secure too much to abandon them. 

Logically, he knew he was awake and in his bedroom at the Compound. But there was a haze, a fuzzy fog over his awareness that made Peter question reality. The specific sensation of pain that came along with sickness only brought negative memories to Peter's mind. 

Hydra hadn't been too kind to him when he had been sick before. Then again, they were never kind to him ever. But when he was sick, it was a whole other nightmare. Sometimes he was lucky to just be ignored and left without food. Others, the agents would push him down and kick him until his fevered body lost consciousness. They would tell him how useless he was, how he was a waste of space when he was sick. 

He never knew exactly why they were harsher then. Maybe it was because they couldn't perform tests on him because his body was too weak. Or maybe it was because they were frustrated that their earlier experiment had failed and left him feeling unwell.

Either way, they had left Peter absolutely terrified of illness for fear that he may get in the way. He knew with all his being that when he was sick, he was worthless. 

How would Tony react? Would he ignore Peter until the boy overcame the illness or would he get angry? Peter shuddered at the thought, his breath speeding up.

Suddenly, pure panic and fear overtook Peter. He didn't want Tony to be annoyed with him, to not want to see him. He hadn't meant to get sick. Peter couldn't bear the thought of Tony seeing him as a waste of space. 

Peter clutched his chest and wheezed, his stuffy nose preventing him from breathing through his nostrils. His stomach sat in knots because of the anxiety that pumped through him. 

The teen suddenly saw a figure enter his room and his breathing sped up even more, an involuntary whimper leaving his throat. He should have been able to hear the visitor before they entered, but currently his ears felt like they were stuffed with cotton, his vision swimming. 

At first, Peter's instincts screamed, telling him that the figure was a Hydra agent coming to hurt him again. But no, he knew that posture, those mannerisms. It was Tony.

No! Peter didn't want Tony to see him like this. Tony wouldn't want him anymore. Sickness only brought inconvenience, that was something Peter was certain of. 

As Tony sat down on his bed and reached out for him, Peter's fevered brain only saw the action as hostile and he flinched back. The teen curled up even tighter, whimpering, "Sorry! 'm sorry…please…"

His vision was blurred a great deal (why couldn't he see?), and he couldn't make out what Tony's reaction was, but it didn't matter. Peter knew he would get in trouble, he knew he was worthless like this. "Please… I-I'll be good…" 

There was a voice talking to him in a low tone. It was familiar. It was Tony's, right? How could he forget that Tony was here? But Peter didn't want to listen, or he couldn't listen. He didn't know which one it was. 

But then there was a warm, calloused hand grasping his own, so impossibly gentle. Before Peter could flinch away, a thumb was rubbing over his knuckles in slow, repetitive motions. 

"It's okay, I'm here," Peter heard the voice say, the words finally filtering into his ears. Peter choked on a sob, needing the comfort so badly and hoping with all his might it was real. "You're safe, bug. I've got you." 

When Peter finally stopped showing outright fear towards the man, Tony slowly extended his other hand and wiped away a couple tears from Peter's cheeks. Oh, is that why he couldn't see? Peter feebly reached up to rub his eyes and clear his vision, now that the mental fuzz was also melting away.

And sure enough, it really was Tony sitting on his bed, looking so worried and kind. Peter still struggled to breath evenly, but he shuddered through his next couple breathes in order to steady it. 

"Hey. You with me now, Pete?" 

Peter nodded, turning his gaze to his mattress in embarrassment. "S-sorry." 

Tony's brows scrunched up and he tried to meet Peter's eyes. "No, there is absolutely nothing you have to apologize for. That was not your fault." His gaze turned steely. "What they did to you is not your fault." 

Peter didn't respond, didn't know how to. He just gave a nod even though he didn't quite believe Tony's words. He was startled to feel a cool hand pressed against his sweaty forehead, pushing damp locks of hair aside. "Jesus, kid, you're burning up. How long were you feeling like this?" 

Peter shrugged. After a moment of silence he looked up to see Tony's raising his eyebrows at him, waiting for a response. Peter shifted uncomfortably. "Um… last night I was feeling a little sick. Just a bit." 

Tony sighed and Peter shrunk in on himself, intrusive thoughts refilling his brain. He knew the older man was going to get angry, to be annoyed at the boy. Instead, Tony said, "You need to tell me these things, Pete. You shouldn't suffer on your own. Trust me, I'm familiar with that." He paused, thinking over his next words before hesitantly asking, "Why didn't you tell me?" 

The teen had gotten better at speaking up about his trauma, especially with Tony. But the notion that sickness was an inconvenience had been ingrained inside of him. He still didn't completely trust Tony to not react badly, to not abandon him after this conversation was over. Still, Peter had to try to open up, right? He took a deep breath before responding. "I… thought you might not… be too happy about it. I uh… well, Hydra was never very kind when I got sick." 

Tony's gaze softened and he scooted closer to the boy. Their hands were still clasped together, and Peter felt the older man squeeze his hand. "I'm so sorry, bambino. You didn't deserve anything they did to you." That was a phrase that Tony had been trying to instill in Peter, repeating it whenever sensitive topics like this occured. "Their reactions to you feeling sick are not normal at all, and I swear to you, bud, I will never be angry at you for feeling under the weather. Capiche?" 

Fresh tears stung in Peter's eyes as he nodded jerkily. "Thank you." 

He received a soft smile in return. Then Tony stood up. "Wait here. I'll be back." He tousled Peter's curls and then briskly left the room.

The few quiet moments of solitude that came next were enough for doubts to resurface in Peter's mind. He knew that Tony said he would come back, but why? Peter couldn't understand why Tony would want to continue to talk with him, or even to be around him when he was sick. Surely the man didn't want to catch whatever illness Peter had? 

It didn't take long for Tony to return, somehow managing to hold onto a large array of items. He had brought a damp cloth, a sleeve of crackers, a box of tissues, a large reusable water bottle, and some painkillers. He dumped everything onto Peter's nightstand. "I don't know if the painkillers will work on you, but I brought them anyway." 

Peter stared wide eyed, blinking at the older man. As Tony gently set the damp cloth on the boy's forehead, Peter mumbled, "What? Uh, what are you doing, Mr. Stark?"

A quizzical look was thrown his way. "What do you mean, kiddo? You're sick, so I'm helping you get better." 

"...Why?" 

A mixture of emotions flitted across Tony's face, but he settled on determination as he sat next to Peter again and clutched his hand. Peter would say the man looked protective. "Because I care about you. I don't say this to many people, hell, I don't think I've ever actually needed to say it outright to anyone before, but, Pete, you're important to me. I want you to feel better, so I'm gonna help you. Simple as that." 

Peter only realized he had once again unknowingly begun to cry when Tony set a hand on his cheek and thumbed away a stray tear. It was difficult for him to grasp - the concept of someone wanting to take care of him when he was sick. But if it was Tony, Peter would be willing to understand. 

"Now, how about we see if you can stomach some crackers? And then after that, you rest for however long you need," Tony whispered. The man settled down right next to Peter in bed and the boy was immensely grateful for the comfort, immediately leaning into his side. 

"Can we watch a movie, too?" He asked shyly, peeking up through his lashes. 

Tony grinned. "I guess we can allow for that." 

\---

It was two days later that Peter finally announced that he wasn't feeling sick anymore. The fever had vanished by the end of the first day, thanks to a lot of sleep and plenty of fluids. Tony was relieved to see that whatever the kid had caught wasn't too dangerous. 

He had tended to Peter the whole time, diligently ignoring every excuse that the teen came up with for Tony to stop helping him. It seemed as though whatever Peter had gone through with Hydra when he was sick in the past was going to haunt him for a while. It made Tony's blood boil. It had terrified him to see the boy shaking and crying, delirious, on top of running a high fever. He wished he had a way to get revenge on the agents that had hurt Peter, but most were already dead, or if they weren't, they were in prison. But that was the past. He needed to remind himself that Peter was okay now. He was safe.

Tony had slept soundly the night before, knowing that Peter had beat his illness. He awoke feeling much the same way. A deep contentment. 

And then there was the surprise. Familiar large brown eyes were staring into his own. Tony imagined that waking up to Peter looking at him would not be a shock anymore, but it still was. "Oh, fuck!"

He scrambled to sit up, and Peter looked apologetic as he hung from the ceiling. "Sorry. I forgot that I'm not supposed to do that." 

"No, it's okay. Just - wow, you're gonna give me a heart attack, kid." Tony attempted to catch his breath. 

Peter blushed in embarrassment before his eyes lit up, a grin forming on his face. The boy crawled over towards the door, still upside down. "I have a surprise! C'mon, c'mon!" 

"Alright, alright." Tony chuckled at the kid, and as he moved to stand up, Peter darted out of the room and down the hall. 

When Tony entered the kitchen, the distinct smell of breakfast assaulted his nose. Peter sat on the island, two full plates of food next to him. Tony smiled at the excitement evident on the young one's face. "Whatcha got there, bambi?" 

Peter gestured to the plates. "I made breakfast! There's toast," he pointed to some slices of bread, scorched from being toasted for too long, "and eggs," the scrambled eggs were a little too dark and Tony could make out bits of egg shells, "and coffee!" At least the coffee looked perfect, but Peter had seen Tony make that a million times before. "It's um… a thank you. For y'know, taking care of me when I was s-sick." 

Tony felt his heart swell from the sweet sincerity of the boy and before he had a chance to think it over, he was engulfing Peter in a hug. The teen giggled and eagerly hugged him back. 

"Thank you, kiddo. I love it." 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank u for reading! Sry I update so randomly, I kinda just wait for inspiration to strike!


End file.
